Telework group expands into broader mobility issues

By Brittany Ballenstedt

January 30, 2013

Many federal agencies are moving quickly to implement telework programs to help cut costs, increase productivity and improve employee work-life balance. Still, the means to achieve those goals are extending beyond just telework, so much so that the leading public-private organization for federal telework is rebranding itself under a new name.

Telework Exchange announced Monday that it has refreshed its name and expanded its mission to include mobile IT discussions across the federal government. Under its new name -- Mobile Work Exchange -- the organization will continue longstanding initiatives like Telework Work and expand its town hall meetings and educational courses.

“We’ve spent the last eight years supporting the awareness and adoption of telework,” said Cindy Auten, general manager of Mobile Work Exchange. “Now that the federal government is moving telework in the fast lane, the conversation is changing. And so are we. … As telework drives the mobile IT discussion forward, we will expand our role to cover both telework and mobile IT topics.”

The rebranding means that Mobile Work Exchange will now focus not only on best practices in telework and other workforce-related topics, but also mobile IT initiatives such as cybersecurity, mobile device management, virtualization, the cloud and bring your own device, or BYOD, strategies. Part of this effort includes the addition of a new resource center on mobile IT and a refresh of the organization’s monthly publication, now called “The Mobile Worker.”

Meanwhile, if you have not yet made your pledge for this year’s Telework Week, which runs March 4-8, it’s not too late. Thus far, 33,685 employees have pledged to telework on some level that week. To make your pledge, click here.